BY LEE SHAW WEI, NATASHA JEE & MA CHEE SENG
KUCHING: Steps are being taken to strengthen the development of marketing infrastructure and facilities with the aim of ensuring a complete agriculture supply chain.
Under the public-private and community partnership model, the state government will actively pursue collaboration with private companies who possess technology, management expertise, capital and, most importantly, ready access markets, domestically and internationally.
“At the heart of this partnership model is the establishment of a wholesale market; Collection, Processing and Packaging Centre (CPPC); and Agro Food Terminal to increase the marketing efficiency of the agricultural produces and products,” said Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom
“For the wholesale market (pasar borong), the upgrading works for the first wholesale market located at Kota Samarahan Industrial Park is nearing completion and Pertubuhan Peladang Negeri Sarawak (PPNS) has been appointed to operate the facility.
“Once completed, the Samarahan Wholesale Market will serve the farmers in the surrounding areas,” Rundi said in his winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.
He added that CPPC is another marketing facility equipped with modern processing facilities that fulfil the required certification requirements including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Halal Certification for export purposes.
“In 2022, a sum of RM8.8 million was allocated for the implementation of Collection, Processing and Packaging Centre (CPPC),” Rundi said.
Rundi pointed out that apart from the CPPC development project, his ministry is also planning to set up Agro Food Terminals in major agricultural production regions.
“This initiative is to further enhance the marketing infrastructure and market access for agriculture produces and products.
“The Agro Food Terminals are designated as food trading hubs for the collection and wholesale of agriculture produces,” Rundi stated.
Rundi said that the government has approved a sum of RM60 million to build a regional agro food terminal at Semenggok and RM3.5 million will be allocated for preliminary works in 2023.
“In addition, my Ministry is also planning to develop another two regional agro food terminals in Bebuling, Spaoh and in Sungai Baji, Sarikei and three other smaller scale agro food terminals located in Lundu, Lachau and Kapit.
“The commencement for the construction of these three agro food terminals is in the planning stage,” Rundi added.
